News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 19, 2015 MEDIA RELEASE Ontario Takes Last Place in Jobs, Social Programs and Income Equality: New Report Says Fully Half of Ontarians are Caught in a Backslide (Toronto, Ontario) – An Ontario-wide coalition of more than 90 labour and community groups concerned with growing inequality released an alarming report today that delivers a grim warning about the erosion of income transfer programs, social programs and a labour force that is leaving millions behind. “Ontario is dead last in funding for social…

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 18, 2015 MEDIA ADVISORY Startling New Report to Show that Ontario is the toughest Province to Live and Work: Coalition of 90 Community Groups to Release Damning Report on Ontario’s Rising Inequality (Toronto, Ontario) – A cross-Ontario coalition concerned with growing income inequality is releasing a damning new report that shows that for all but the highest income earners, Ontario has become the most difficult province to earn a living and raise a family. The report will demonstrate that by nearly…

Harper’s Record on Income, Inequality and Canada’s Social Safety Net With October 19th Election only days away, the Ontario Common Front and the Ontario Federation of Labour has put together a fact sheet, entitled “Ruthless: The Harper Record on Income, Inequality and Canada’s Social Safety Net.” This informative document reminds voters about the Harper cuts to Old Age Security, Health Care, Arts and Culture, Women’s Advocacy, Pay Equity, Humanitarian Groups and First Nations/Aboriginal Programs. The fact sheet also comments on Harper’s track record when it…

The OFL and the Ontario Network of Injured Workers’ Groups will host a Compensation Conference on June 1 and 2, 2015. For information, please contact: Laurie Hardwick at 416-347-9732 or LHardwick@ofl.ca

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 15, 2015 ADVISORY: Ontario’s Largest Anti-Poverty Conference to Draw Speakers from U.S. “Fight for $15” and Québec Student Movement (TORONTO, ON) ─ Organizers of the Ontario Common Front Anti-Poverty Assembly are anticipating over 500 people to participate in the two-day conference this weekend in Toronto. Topping the roster of impressive speakers are Chicago “Fight for $15” minimum wage activist Jessica Davis, former Québec student leader Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois and award-winning author Linda McQuaig. Organized by the Ontario Common Front and the…

Ontario remains a wealthy province inflicted with the disease of poverty. The only way to reverse the trend towards greater inequality is through broad and diverse organizing to demand meaningful change at every level. The Ontario Common Front and the Ontario Federation of Labour are calling on you to join students, workers, retirees and community and anti-poverty activists at an Anti-Poverty Assembly on April 17 and 18 at the University of Toronto. Together, we will draft, develop and launch a “Solidarity Against Inequality” campaign, designed…

As Waterloo Region residents’ hydro bills continue to skyrocket, 919 people sought help from the Waterloo Region Energy Assistance Program in 2013. Most of those recipients – 55 per cent – live in Kitchener. Cambridge recipients totalled 32 per cent and Waterloo recipients totalled 9 per cent, with four per cent going to the townships. The amount dolled out by the region for the program was $461,608, paid to low-income consumers whose hydro bills were in arrears. A staff report paints a picture of the…

The passing of a resolution to “develop a Policy Framework for Toronto Transit Fare Equity for consideration by the end of 2015” by Toronto City Council on July 8th, 2014 is a step forward. It reflects a series of struggles by low income people, social activists working in community movements, social agencies, transit activists, and allies in the trenches of the municipal government bureaucracy and government to address a particularly important issue of social justice – equal access to urban mobility – and a significant item in…

Like universal health care in 1960, the Ontario Retirement Pension Plan (ORPP) is a plan without proof, so it can be criticized as impractical, too expensive, likely to fail, likely to offer poor returns, be open to political interference and so on. You have to have faith that it can work and be as efficient as the Canada Pension Plan, a model other countries turn to. Click HERE to read more:

When it comes to seeking new revenues, some politicians like to claim that economic growth will somehow increase and greater tax revenues will naturally follow. More growth would certainly be nice, but it isn’t something a government can just will into being. The Ontario government needs to find more revenues in the actual economy, not some fantasy one. Ms. Wynne will therefore be thinking about raising tax rates. And she will immediately encounter a tension between which taxes are least economically damaging and which are…

Local anti-poverty groups will be launching a campaign in November calling for a living wage amid a Statistics Canada report showing that minimum wage earners are no better off today than they were in the 1970s. Even the new Ontario minimum wage of $11 an hour still falls 18 per cent below the poverty line. Click HERE to find out more.

The Canada Revenue Agency has told a well-known charity that it can no longer try to prevent poverty around the world, it can only alleviate poverty – because preventing poverty might benefit people who are not already poor. The bizarre bureaucratic brawl over a mission statement is yet more evidence of deteriorating relations between the Harper government and some parts of Canada’s charitable sector. Click HERE for the entire report.

Last week, amid the shouting and crying that marked the dying days of the provincial election campaign, Toronto’s city council did a good thing. It approved 80 units of affordable housing set aside for artists in a new 15-story condo development planned for the East Bayfront community. This decision is in line with the in-development neighbourhood’s zoning plan, which mandates that 20 per cent of new housing should be affordable. The deal—between the city, the private non-profit Artscape, and the condo developers—is the kind we desperately need in Toronto,…

A standoff is brewing between the City of Vancouver and a group of protesters camped out in a Downtown Eastside park — but in a twist, the city itself has been handed an eviction notice. On Sunday, just over a dozen tents stood at Oppenheimer Park. Those living in them tell CBC News they’re homeless with nowhere else to live. In the past three days, the campers have received two eviction notices from the city, which has bylaws prohibiting sleeping in parks and erecting structures…

We were pleased that Premier Wynne’s Speech From The Throne announced plans for a new poverty reduction strategy for Ontario. Health Providers Against Poverty is an Ontario-based collective of doctors, nurses, and other frontline healthcare professionals. As health care providers, we see daily the devastating impacts of low income on our patients’ health. Individuals at the lower end of the income spectrum are at greater risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and mental health illness. In the health system, individuals living…

Both men died on the same day. In the morning. At the same shelter. Of unnatural causes. Because there was nothing natural about a 52-year-old and a 69-year-old dying in a men’s shelter in downtown Toronto. “If there had been two deaths within an hour or two of each other in any other city run facility, like a seniors’ home or a daycare or a school, we would have at least seen a press statement or communication from the COO of the city or the…

These are tough times in Ontario. Once an economic giant, Ontario now has one of the largest debt-loads of any sub-national government in the world. And on a day-to-day basis for many, Ontario is a province in crisis. Forty per cent of those who suffer food insecurity in Canada live in Ontario. A job in the province no longer protects against poverty – a full 10% of those using food banks are gainfully employed. Immigrants, newcomers and other vulnerable groups are over-represented in precarious employment, often working…

78 per cent of First Nations adults in Hamilton earn less than $20,000 per year, according to study: Hamilton’s urban aboriginal people face multiple barriers to health care, significant rates of chronic disease and elevated emergency room visit levels compared to the rest of the city, according to a landmark study from St. Michael’s Hospital. The study, published Thursday in medical journal BMJ Open, marks the first time researchers have accessed detailed information about how an urban aboriginal population in Canada uses health care. Read…

Older women in St. Catherines facing life on social assistance: She thought she was done with welfare. A long time ago, she had dug herself out. Raised three girls on her own. Felt the sting of embarrassment for having to put items back at the grocery store checkout because her food voucher wasn’t enough to buy everything in the cart. Worked wherever she could. In a foundry grinding the rough edges off the plumbing parts. As a survey clerk in an office. She put herself…

The Ontario Federation of Labour welcomes the measures in today’s budget that will make the province a better place for workers, but warns that it will continue to vigorously oppose all forms of privatization and cuts that unfairly place the burden for reducing the deficit on the backs of workers. Read more by clicking HERE.

The Ontario County Office for the Aging will be distributing senior farmers market coupon booklets beginning Tuesday, July 15. Coupon booklets are available to eligible seniors on a first-come, first-served basis as long as supplies last. Eligible Ontario County seniors need to be at least 60 years of age and affirm they are low-income based on one or more of the following criteria: a gross monthly income at or below: one-person household — $1,800 per month; two-person household — $2,426 per month; or three-person household…

Legal Aid Ontario is launching new services to help separating couples avoid a court battle. Eligible couples will be able to access legal advice, and get help drafting a separation agreement. The director general for the Northwest District for Legal Aid Ontario said the services will make a big difference for low-income families in northwestern Ontario. “I would suspect that there’s a large number of people who will be able to resolve their ongoing issues, especially around custody, access and child support, and have less…

For a token a ride, Wheel-Trans is the cheapest transportation available to people with disabilities. But accessible taxi drivers say the TTC wants them to provide the service even more cheaply. Last weekend, the city’s contract with three taxi brokerages for Wheel-Trans expired and the new contract has dropped drivers’ guaranteed pay from $2.86 to $2.50 per kilometre. Now more than 80 per cent of the drivers are on strike until they get their old fees back. “We can’t afford it,” said Ahmed Idris Ali,…

Decision-makers hoping to stop loitering downtown risk criminalizing the poor and marginal, say social advocates. They say broader community solutions are needed, not a crackdown that excludes certain kinds of people from public spaces. The city’s task force for cleanliness and security in the downtown is looking at a three-year pilot project that would dedicate a bylaw enforcement officer and police officer to the area around Gore Park, similar to a program in Barrie. To read more about what is being done in Hamilton, click HERE for…

Kathleen Wynne campaigned and won on an anti-austerity platform. Will she deliver? Already, Ontario’s Liberal premier is being advised to backtrack on her promise to spend more for infrastructure and necessary services. To read more, click HERE.

As the Federal government scrambles to enact reforms to the embattled Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) in the wake of revelations of widespread abuse, the Saskatchewan government has voiced its displeasure with the proposed reforms. Arguing Saskatchewan represents a “unique situation,” Minister Responsible for Immigration Jeremy Harrison claims that there simply are not enough “domestic workers in the province to fill the jobs the economy is generating.” While there has been much heated rhetoric regarding the need for the TFWP in Saskatchewan, actual data on…

Is Ontario’s middle class among the richest in the world, as the New York Times would have us believe, or is it struggling to stay afloat, as per the rhetoric of many a provincial politician? Steve Paikin, host of TVO’s current affairs show The Agenda, brings the CCPA’s Senior Economist Armine Yalnizyan, Andrew Coyne from the National Post and Mike Moffatt from they Ivey School of Business to the table to crunch the numbers and debate which of these declarations is closer to the truth. Click HERE for…

This report analyzes Ontario’s fair wage policy, which has not been modernized since it was introduced in 1995. It draws from a broad range of examples to show how a modernized fair wage policy can be a critical link to bring construction tendering policy in line with government policy objectives pertaining to skills training and apprenticeships, improved health and safety outcomes, and tackling the underground economy in construction. It could strengthen Ontario’s apprenticeship system, it could improve health and safety outcomes, it could help tackle…

I remember when we had almost no homelessness in Vancouver; it was when welfare had a lot more purchasing power and governments built almost 800 units a year of social housing in the city alone. Raise welfare rates; people need more than $375 for rent and $235 for everything else. Who do you know who rents a decent place for $375? Read more: HERE

Other parts of social assistance not seeing increase. A University of Prince Edward Island professor is praising the P.E.I. government for coming up with a plan to raise social assistance rates for food, but is concerned about how that money might be spent. Without indexing for all social assistance, increases for food could go to rent, says applied human sciences Professor Jennifer Taylor. (Matt Rainnie/CBC) Last week the P.E.I. government announced $2.8 million in funding over the next five years to increase food rates. Click…

Why is it so difficult to find an affordable apartment in Toronto? Matt Galloway spoke with Karen Andrews. She is a staff lawyer at the Advocacy Centre for Tenants Ontario. Click the link HERE to listen to this conversation.

A transit fare equity policy for Toronto just makes sense: Toronto City Council will meet July 8 to vote on the development of a transit fare equity policy for the GTA. The proposed fare equity policy will put a focus on transit affordability across the city with a particular spotlight on low-income people. City staff and advocates alike have recently pointed out that transit accessibility is about more than location and mobility; it’s about affordability as well. Click HERE for full article.

More Gladue services in the North to better address the over-representation of Aboriginal peoples in the criminal justice system: Legal Aid Ontario plans to address the ‘acute need’ for Gladue services in Northwestern Ontario in the coming months. “When all this is finished we’ll have the best Gladue program across the country,” director general Nye Thomas said. “There’ll still be more work to do after that, but it’s addressing a long standing need.” Click HERE to access the full article.

Legal Aid Ontario’s new benefits are aimed at many couples who can’t afford a lawyer and try to represent themselves in family law court. Legal Aid Ontario is embarking on a significant expansion of legal services in family law that could chip away at the swelling masses of self-represented litigants and steer couples away from lengthy court battles. A pair of programs, which will be announced later in july, will offer financially eligible couples free access to a family lawyer to negotiate separation agreements and…

New report from Windsor-Essex says 18.3% of families live in poverty, the highest in the province: A report called The Cost Of Poverty In Windsor-Essex says poverty is costing the region $450-million and suggests unless something is done to improve those rates, the cost will only grow. To find out more, click the link HERE.

Released July 4th, 2014 This press release displays the reactions of the Canadian Doctors for Refugee Care (CDRC), the Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers (CARL), and Justice for Children and Youth (JFCY) on the Federal Court’s ruling that refugee health care cuts are “cruel and unusual” – and unconstitutional: “This decision is a victory for human rights, for human dignity, and for compassion.” READ MORE!

Whether we’ve managed to buy our dream home or are simply dreaming of having a home, few things matter to us more than where we live. Our homes can be a large part of our identity. But they’re much more than that. Research demonstrates that decent housing is fundamental to our health. If home is one of the most important things to both our health and well-being, you would imagine it would be at the top of every political platform. But in Toronto, where we…

Former WSIB chair, Odoardo Di Santo, says Ontario’s workers’ compensation system is under attack from within – changes “are undermining decades of progress” and “all Ontarians ought to oppose” them: To access the full article on the Toronto Star website, click the link HERE.

In the lead up to the 2013 Ontario provincial budget, the OFL coordinated a province- wide consultation that culminated in the release of a People’s Budget. It included a set of recommendations about how to make Ontario a more fair and equitable province. One key recommendation was to: “Raise the minimum wage to $14 per hour, which is 10 percent above the poverty line based on a 35-hour week, and de-politicize the minimum wage by implementing a formula that would determine regular future increases.” Fairness…

Thirteen million of the most highly educated people in the world call Ontario home. Endowed with rich natural resources, vast tracts of farmland, quadrillions of litres of freshwater, the rugged beauty of the Canadian Shield, and an industrial hub that stretches across its southern reaches; it is almost inconceivable that this province houses a generation of residents who are experiencing the largest increase in inequality in this province’s history. Yet the evidence is indisputable. Ontario is falling behind the rest of Canada in terms of…

Here is a look at the Ontario Federation of Labour’s proposed guiltiness for determining who is a supervisor under the Occupational Health and Safety Act. The guidelines can be retrieved in the link below: Who is a Supervisor?

Come out and support some of Canada’s most skilled apprentices as they face off ,in their respective trades, to be the best in the nation! This competition will be held in Toronto this August 22-23 at Roundhouse Park ‎. As the location is a real tourism hub for Toronto it will be a great location to raise the profile of the competition and the trades. A number of our trade disciplines with be highlighted : Carpentry, Drywall, Flooring and Millwrighting.‎ As well, we will be…

Gordon Wilson, Past President, Ontario Federation of Labour responds to Odoardo Di Santo’s, worker’s compensation under attack,opinion piece posted on June 28th. “Odoardo Di Santo is right on but his comments are not the whole story.” “Currently there are over 8,000 workers within Ontario who have claims that have been denied, many without a hearing at the WSIB of their initial claim, and are awaiting for their appeals to be heard in response to the board’s denials. The Appeals Tribunal is now processing approximately 80 to…

Government’s and the courts should hold companies accountable for pensions/obligations which were agreed at the Bargaining table. These are what you call deferred wages. It is criminal what they are doing to people who have put in 30, 40, or even 50 years of hard work into their respective companies. Click HERE to read more about what these companies are doing to their employees. YOU be the judge.

Here is a look at the Latest OFL’s President Report. Within this report is and address from the OFL president himself, Sid Ryan, a review of the past election and much more information about today’s labour movement. Click HERE to access the report.

In Ontario, the recent recession and the austerity measures that followed have had a disproportionate impact on young people. Their struggles foretell a broader low-wage future for all Ontarians if our government does not change course. The scope and depth of the challenges facing young workers demand a new, progressive approach to public policy and managing the economy. Young people across the province are calling on the provincial government to put job creation and the well-being of people and communities ahead of deficit reduction and…

The role of unions as a progressive force in Canadian society and a voice for all workers is being challenged across the country. Historically, legislation has both supported and limited unions’ ability to negotiate and advocate for improved living and working conditions for workers. In recent years, changes have been made and proposed at the federal and provincial levels that erode some of the security that has previously been afforded to unions. A cornerstone of Canadian labour legislation – the Rand Formula – is one…

Social media can fuel spontaneous, organic and grass-roots activism. As Technology continues to grow, this type of media becomes more and more effective. Activists can use social media to start petitions, spread the word, mobilize support, educate the public and put pressure on decision-makers at every level. Click HERE to learn more about how the labour movement plans, and is currently, using social media to get the message out!

As Ontarians chart our society’s path through the difficult fiscal terrain ahead, we must recognize that in today’s globalized world, negative competitiveness won’t buy prosperity for most of us. It will simply drive down living standards that took centuries to build. Today, strong unions are needed, more than ever, to balance the power of the corporate elite whose hoarding of the world’s wealth has reached monstrous proportions. In the words of Martin Luther King Jr., the rising of the unions has indeed been the rising…

Cuts to Canada’s Employment Insurance Program are making it harder to help some of the most vulnerable people in today’s society. Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) produced this video about the cuts in Employment-Insurance. There’s also a press release attached to it. Access the video below: watch?v=hK3L5F4cAgk To access the Press Release click HERE: In order to access more information, click HERE to be redirected to their website I invite you to share this video as widely as possible !

A Call to Young Workers, There has never been a more important time for young workers to become actively engaged in the struggles of the labour movement – and for trade unionists to take inspiration from the activism of students and youth. Last year’s Occupy movement and this year’s student strike in Québec were important moments where labour unions fell in behind youth-led campaigns against inequality. However, it is also vital for young workers to take an active role in their unions or to organize…

A recovery strategy that aims to put Ontario back where it was in 2007 means no progress for women. Women had lower levels of employment and higher levels of poverty before, during and after the recession. Young women were among the biggest losers during the recession – experiencing nearly double the rate of decline in their employment as young men. At the other end of the spectrum, the numbers of women who stayed in the workforce after age 65 doubled betwen 2007-2013. Single mothers with…

The Ontario Child Benefit (OCB) has increased by $100 annually per child. This is a very important program Ontario families mitigate finical struggle when taking care of their children. To find out more about what this means for the families of Ontario, click on the link HERE.

October 3rd-5th Unifor has partnered with Ryerson University, the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives and the Canadian Federation of Students to host a multi-stalkholder dialogue on how, together, we can create good jobs- now and in the future. the summit will take place at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto. To find out more about the summit, please visit the website: http://canadians.org/good-jobs-summit-oct-3-5-toronto

From june 20th to 29th, Toronto will have the honour of hosting WorldPride 2014 (WP14TO). These ten days of Queer celebration will turn streets into parades, parks into parties and strangers into friends! For more information visit the link HERE

Meet Danielle Martin, the health care leader heard across North America. Doctor Martin is the leading advocates for publicly funded healthcare in North America. Martin beleives that “as physicians we see the negative impact of poverty on the health of our patients every day. We should be at the front of the parade to try to reduce poverty in Canada.” In order to find out more about Danielle, click HERE to read more about who and what Danielle envisions for the future of North American Healthcare!

The new policy – which comes at a time when statistics suggest one in five Canadians experience a mental health illness in any given year – offers those dealing with mental illness, as well as their employers, landlords and other service providers “user-friendly” advice on how to best identify and combat rights violations. This policy is saying that people with mental health issues are protected under the human rights code. They have rights. Employers, service providers, landlords all have responsibilities and we need to understand…

Hello everyone, In the province of Ontario, there are 6 million workers, half of which dont have any type of pension plan. These three million Ontarians are looking at retirement years where their only income will be the Canada Pension Plan which pays a maximum of $1,038 monthly. This is not enough for people to live. The article found within the link below can give you more information on why Ontarians are in need of a provincial pension Ontario Pension Plan Enjoy!

The remote Ontario community of Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug is once again opening its doors, inviting Canadians to spend a week at their reserve to experience the good, like this campfire, and the bad, like lack of housing, at their reserve 600 kilometres north of Thunder Bay. Click HERE to see the FULL story.

Ontario Government Committed to Affordable Housing Ontario is capping rent increases for 2015 at 1.6 per cent. The cap, also known as the rent increase guideline, is the maximum a landlord can raise a tenant’s rent without the approval of the Landlord and Tenant Board. It applies to rent increases between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2015. The guideline is based on the Ontario Consumer Price Index, a measure of inflation calculated monthly by Statistics Canada. It is calculated under the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006,…

Located at Lorne Ave Public School July 11-13 Hello Everyone, This Regional forum has some amazing guest speakers, workshops, music and events planned for people who attend! To acess more information, click HERE to check out the forum poster Hope to see everyone there!

Yesterday an armoured car guard in Toronto was shot several times while doing his job. Unifor has been campaigning for more effective regulation of the armoured car industry. Help Unifor make this work and the people who do it safer. Help make sure no more armoured car workers die or are injured on the job. In just a few seconds you can send a message to the federal government in support of Unifor’s campaign. Just go HERE. For the full text of the Unifor statement on…

The Peoples’ Social Forum will open on August 21 with a traditional Algonquin ceremony at sunrise and a celebratory peoples’ march in the afternoon. August 21 and 22 will see hundreds of participant-led workshops happen simultaneously at the University of Ottawa. Saturday, August 23 will be a day of movement assemblies. The last day there will be a final all-movements assembly and closing ceremony. The Peoples’ Social Forum is also a joyous gathering with special exhibitions, work and peoples history tours, film screenings, critical mass…

National People’s Social Forum is coming this summer! Join us for the kickoff gathering at CUPE 4400 Date: Saturday March 22, 2014 Time: 6:00 to midnight Address: 1482 Bathurst Street, 4th Floor (St. Clair Subway station – Bathurst and St. Clair) A grassroots Peoples’ Social Forum will be held in Ottawa-Gatineau from August 21-24 2014 (http://peoplessocialforum.wordpress.com/). Join us in inaugurating this exciting event, connect with people who have been involved in organizing,…

Dear Raise the Rates Campaign Endorsers and Supporters, On Saturday, March 22nd, we will be having a Raise the Rates meal, rally and march on the Liberal Party Convention here in Toronto (full details below). Right now we are booking buses from Ottawa, Sudbury, Waterloo Region, Kingston, and beyond. We are also setting up ‘meet-up spots’ for within Toronto for people to meet and come down together. Ways that you can participate in March 22nd: -Organize a contingent from your community, union, or group, then…

Hello Everyone, Please join us in celebrating International Women’s Day in Toronto on Saturday March 8th, 2014. We want to build an even larger turn-out than usual marching through the streets, raising our voices, and calling for the kind of city and society we want. This is an important year to show the strength of the women’s movement. We are having an October municipal election and most likely a provincial election will be soon. Let them know our strength! Invite your family, friends and co-workers….

DATE: Sunday, February 23, 2014 PLACE: Ontario Federation of Labour, 15 Gervais Drive, Auditorium (Eglinton Ave. East at Don Mills Road) Toronto Time: 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. COLOUR ME a documentary: Challenges viewers to re-examine how we think about race through a film documentary on a ground breaking mentorship program for black teens in Brampton. The Event is sponsored by: Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU) and the Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL).

Join Toronto ACORN in our campaign for affordable high speed internet for low income families! We are asking for $10/month high speed internet for low income families; for more information on the campaign, check out our website. Thursday, February 20 1:00pm Queen Station – south east corner of Queen St. & Yonge St., Toronto

Connecting Struggles: Taking on Austerity – A discussion on resistance to austerity and global social movements featuring David McNally, Steve D’Arcy, Kamilla Pietrzyk and Sakitowin Awasis. JOIN US! 9:30 am until 4:00 pm PWYC by donation – Lunch Provided Saturday, February 22nd in the Tolpuddle Common Room 380 Adelaide Street at King Street Hosted by London Common Front

Celebrate With ACORN! Annual Reception Feb. 28 2014 Fighting For A $14 Minimum Wage, Linked to Inflation! This year, we celebrate our 6th Annual Reception which is an important fundrasier for ACORN members. This year’s theme is Raise the Minimum Wage! The money you contribute each year, or for the first time, ensures low income members are directing the organization. You help keep us community organizing, doing door to door work in low income communities, and building a base of families who would not otherwise…

COMMUNIST MANIFESTO DISCUSSION GROUP Presented by Socialist Fightback @ York University Thu. Jan. 30 @ 6:00pm Accolade West building, room 209 York University (Keele campus) Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/events/247691938737338/ Despite the continuous attempts by advocates of capitalism to smear the ideas of communism and the figure of Marx, more and more people around the globe are turning to Marxism to find an alternative to a capitalist system in crisis. What does communism really mean? Why is Marx still so controversial today? Come discover why the 2nd-best selling book…

Let’s make child support available to all eligible children: A Province-Wide Conversation When: 1:30-3:00pm, Thursday, Feb.6, 2014 Who: Single mothers receiving social assistance, Campaign 2000/Family Service Toronto/ISAC partner organizations & other interested individuals Where: In-person (Family Service Toronto at 355 Church St., Toronto), through one of the participating partners, or via your own computer (need to ensure you have the hardware and software to participate). TTC tokens are available. RSVP: By Monday, Feb. 3rd, 2014 (limited space, so please reserve asap) Email: liyugu@familyservicetoronto.org or…

Feathers of Hope: First Nations Youth Action Plan to be released on Monday, February 24, 2014! As you may recall, in March 2013, we held a forum in Thunder Bay, Ontario for First Nations youth called Feathers of Hope. Over the five days of the forum, more than 100 youth from First Nations communities across northern Ontario gathered to share their lived experiences, talk about issues of importance, and share the outcomes of their discussions with leadership from First Nations, provincial, federal and municipal government…

Olivia Chow visits Ryerson Wednesday January 29th to discuss her new book, the memoir ‘My Journey’. Ms. Chow will be in conversation with Cathy Crowe (Ryerson Distinguished Visiting Practitioner) and a panel of Ryerson students. All are welcome to attend. Ms. Chow’s memoir examines the events, people and ideals that have shaped her journey from childhood immigrant to leading Canadian elected official. This event is co-sponsored by the Sam Gindin Chair, The Jack Layton Chair and the Ryerson Students Union. A light lunch and refreshments…

SAVE CANADA POST! TORONTO TOWN-HALL MEETING Fri. Jan. 24 @ 7:00pm OPSEU Hall 31 Wellesley St. E. (across the street from Wellesley subway station) Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/events/254589278039010/ Our postal service is under attack by Harper’s Conservatives. Deepak Chopra, CEO of Canada Post, has announced cuts to home delivery and 6,000-8,000 layoffs. His response, when asked about the implications of cutting home mail delivery for elders, was that the elderly needed exercise. This is coming from a man who makes $500,000 a year. The attempt to gut Canada…

THE COMMUNIST MANIFESTO AND ITS RELEVANCE TODAY Presented by Socialist Fightback @ UofT and Ryerson Thu. Jan. 23 @ 7:00pm Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE), room 12-274 252 Bloor St. W. (at St. George subway station) Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/events/819155308111023/ Despite the continuous attempts by capitalists and their lackeys to smear the ideas of communism and the figure of Marx, the workers and oppressed of the world continue to seek out and (re)discover the ideas of Marxism. Through asking questions such as “What does the idea…

Friends, Here is a list of events taking place during Social Justice Week 2014 at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology in Oshawa. There are more details coming for the event on Tuesday, February 4th and I will forward them along once they firm up. Please forward this information to faculty, staff, community members, allies, front line social service providers and others. Events: Monday, February 3rd (11AM – 2PM, 61 Charles St, 2nd floor student lounge) Social Justice Week 2014 Fair Students, faculty,…

Alex Himelfarb and the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives Ontario are making a stop in Kitchener-Waterloo on January 23 during a cross Province tour in seeding a more balanced discussion on taxes and their role in everyday lives.Take the opportunity to share your take on taxation and public services with one of the authors of the book, as well with local players from different walks of life. Ask the right questions and shape our local conversation for the election years ahead. Join us at the Kitchener City Hall…

March to Save Canada Post Sunday, January 26th 1:00 pm Ottawa Meet at Dundonald Park (Kent and Somerset) March to the Prime Minister’s Office (Elgin and Wellington) The Canadian Union of Postal Workers is greeting the return of parliament with a rally and march to demand the reversal of planned cuts to the postal service. The Conservative plan to end home mail delivery and dramatically increase postal rates will be a disaster for Canada Post. Cutting service to citizens and increasing prices is not what…

Public Forum on Race & Justice in Toronto January 30, 2014, 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm, Room 103, FitzGerald Building, 150 College St., Toronto The Justice in Toronto Lecture Series, co-sponsored by the University of Toronto Global Cities Institute, begins 2014 with a lecture on Race and Justice in Toronto, featuring Gary Pieters, President of Toronto’s Urban Alliance on Race Relations, and Scot Wortley, a Professor at the Centre for Criminology and Socio-legal Studies at the University of Toronto. This series of public forums will address…

Super excited to confirm that Sterling Harders from Working Washington will be speaking at the Fight for Fair Wages forum on Jan. 24th! Working Washington just won a historic $15 minimum wage for workers at Seattle-Tacoma airport! Sterling will share how they won and what is next! Sign up to get updates on the forum (including the location which will be confirmed VERY SOON!) Friday, January 24 at 6:30pm in EST William Doo Auditorum, 25 Willcocks St., Toronto (Corner of Willcocks St. and Spadina, 2…

On January 14th, tell Premier Kathleen Wynne that we need a $14 minimum wage for a healthy Ontario! Join a province-wide call-in day – call Premier Kathleen Wynne at (416) 425-6777 and your local MPP. Read more about how fair wages in 2014 will improve health and wellbeing in Ontario here. Take Action! Join the phone-in day on January 14th! Tell Premier Kathleen Wynne we need a raise – call her office at (416) 425-6777 and then your local MPP. Find your MPP contact info here. Get 14 people in…

2014 PRE-BUDGET CONSULTATIONS CONSULTATIONS PRÉBUDGÉTAIRES 2014 The Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs will meet to conduct Pre-Budget Consultations. The Committee intends to hold public hearings in Peterborough, Kitchener, Oakville and Toronto during the week of January 13, 2014; and in Sarnia, Thunder Bay, North Bay and Kingston during the week of January 20, 2014. Interested people who wish to be considered to make an oral presentation to the Committee should contact the Clerk of the Committee by 12 noon on…

I suggest that on November 30th, after Leamington’s Santa Parade, that the entire municipality and its surrounding communities show up outside of Heinz for a candlelight protest to the closing of this local industry and the harm it will cause our Essex County community. I assume the parade takes two and a half hours. Therefore, 9:30 P.M. On November 30th might be a good time to make a public statement of compassion for Heinz workers, farmers and our community’s disgust for corporate greed. It’s just…

August 19th, 2013 9:00 am to 5:00 pm at Yorkdale Holiday Inn, 3450 Dufferin Street, Toronto –Student, Social movements and labour activists from across Ontario will come together to build alternatives to a right-wing agenda of austerity, poverty and repression. We believe a future is possible that respects democracy, environment, land and human rights. But we need deep organizing. Speakers include: Dr. Henry Giroux, Global Television Network Chair in Communications studies at McMaster University. In 2004, Dr. Giroux wrote the book, The Terror of Neoliberalism….

Budget 2013 has begun to make positive changes to a social assistance system that has continued to impoverish and cause hardship for low-income Ontarians. The majority of these changes apply to the Ontario Works (OW) program. After the Commission’s social assistance review report, starting the process of reform with positive changes to OW is the right way to proceed. The government has clearly heard the concerns of individuals and groups across Ontario about the negative impact of the report’s recommendations on people receiving ODSP. As…

A group of Young Conservatives have popped up on the Durham College and UOIT campus recently. We don’t know much about them because their Facebook group is private and requires students to request approval for access. The group’s description simply states, “Supporting the students, supporting the country”. However, the current membership list boasts a who’s-who of Conservative Party insiders, MPs, MPPs and Young Conservative organizers from across Ontario. It seems the Conservative Party of Canada and the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario have made our…

You are invited to participate in a full-day Trade Justice Network meeting to discuss and strategize the Canada-EU CETA negotiations, and to hear from international experts about Canada’s participation in the Trans-Pacific Partnership and Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement talks with India. Those who cannot make the meeting in person will be able to phone-in. When: April 15, 2013, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Where: CEP Boardroom (301 Laurier Avenue at Bank Street), Ottawa (MAP http://tinyurl.com/bvbl8d8) The meeting will be split into two parts:…

Ontario is facing an historic opportunity to invest in poverty reduction in the 2013 budget. We can’t let this opportunity to pass us by. The 2013 Budget can allow Ontarians living on low-incomes to Earn More, Keep More and see benefits Restored. A recent letter sent by the 25in5 Network for Poverty Reduction urges all political parties to make minority government work for all Ontarians by investing in poverty reduction initiatives.Take Action to show your support for poverty reduction in the upcoming budget by signing…

Protecting Rights, Building Solidarity: A Workshop on Migrant Labour and Immigration Issues April 5 and 6, 2013 Program runs Friday evening and all day Saturday Metro Hall, Plenary Room 308-309 55 John Street, Toronto Join workers, advocates, unions, experts and community allies who are committed to protecting and strengthening the rights of newcomers to our province’s labour market. Through speakers and participatory sessions, participants will examine the impact of current policies, explore solutions, and develop strategies for joint action. Download the flyer here and help…

ACORN Canada 2013 Convention June 22-24 Toronto, Ontario (University of Toronto) Real People for Real Change The subsidized costs of the trip to the 2013 ACORN Convention in Toronto is $350 which includes: Room and Board Food (Breakfast, lunch and dinner) 2 Coach buses transport around the city $50 guarantees you a spot Phone: 613-746-5999 onacornot@acorncanada.org

Celebrate Black History Month Where is our Obama? What policies does she/he support? This event will be held February 28, 2013 at large boardroom, Public Service Alliance of Canada 90 Eglinton Avenue East Suite 608 Toronto On Event time 6:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. RSVP PSAC_Toronto-mail@psac.com Food and Refreshments provided

OCAP is calling for an EMERGENCY MEETING to talk about homeless deaths in the city, the crisis in the shelter system and upcoming actions that we have called to continue to put pressure on the City of Toronto Thursday, February 28th 6:30pm @ St.Lukes Church (Sherbourne/Carlton, in the ‘Education Centre’ room) Important Update: No More Homeless Deaths Wednesday, February 20th, 2013 For the past several weeks, OCAP and allies have been forcing the issue of homeless deaths and the crisis in the Toronto shelter system…

Join the Ontario Federation of Labour and over 90 community groups for a rally at 1:00 pm on Saturday, January 26 to bring our demands for democratic and economic rights directly to the Ontario Liberal Leadership Convention. The Ontario government has been shut down while workers’ rights are under threat and cuts to jobs and services are hurting every community. However, with an Ontario Liberal Leadership Race underway and a provincial election on the horizon, workers and community members are demanding new priorities for Ontario…

This holiday season we need you to take action to stop wage theft. Email Minister of Labour Linda Jeffrey and let her know what wage theft means to you this holiday season. We know that lots of families are struggling to pay the bills at this time of year. No one can afford missed payments of wages, bounced cheques or to not get paid for public holidays this season. But in Ontario at least 1 in 3 low wage workers face unpaid wages. The economic…

For Immediate Release December 6, 2012 (TORONTO, ON) ─ Hot on the heels of a nationally recognized report exposing Ontario’s growing income inequality, the Ontario Common Front is expecting hundreds to attend a general assembly this weekend where plans to challenge government cuts to public services, good jobs and democratic rights will be hashed out. “The Ontario Common Front is a coalition of over 100 community and labour groups was born early this year in response to the Ontario Government’s deep budget cuts,” said Common…

Ontario Common Front General Assembly Saturday, December 8, 2012 University of Toronto – Ontario institute for Studies in Education (OISE) 252 Bloor Street West, Toronto 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Click here to visit the event page on Facebook. You are invited to the Ontario Common Front (OCF) General Assembly on Saturday, December 8, 2012 from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) University of Toronto, 252 Bloor Street West, Toronto. We are facing an increasing crisis in Ontario…

Courage is a new documentary produced by the National Film Board of Canada. There is a special screening of the film sponsored by the Community Connections group of the Documentary Organization of Canada. Courage will be shown Tuesday, October 30th at 7pm at Hart House, University of Toronto. The screening will be followed by a panel discussion with participants from the Worker’s Action Centre, the Ontario Federation of Labour, the director of the film, Geoff Bowie, and Bebeth Asseli, who tells her story in the…

WORLD PREMIERE OF SKY GILBERT’S NAKED HAMILTON AT THE ARTWORD ARTBAR Hamilton, Ontario (Saturday, September 22, 2012) For Immediate Release – NAKED HAMILTON is the seventh Sky Gilbert work presented by Hammertheatre to have its World Premiere in Hamilton, Ontario. Gilbert’s newest one-act play stars Elley-Ray Hennessy (HAMILTON BUS STOP) and Scott McCord (SCOTT MCCORD AND THE BONAFIDE TRUTH). The production will be presented at the Artword Artbar, located at 15 Colbourne Street, in Hamilton, Ontario, from November 15-25, 2012. THE PLAY: Hamilton’s changing. And…

–On Thursday, August 30, 2012 the Kitchener-Waterloo Record covered the launch of the Common Front Report. By Jeff Hicks, Record Staff WATERLOO — The austerity axe is killing equality in Ontario, and Waterloo Region in particular. So says a new report by a coalition of 90 labour and community organizations, which ranks Ontario dead last in Canada in every major social indicator. Two years ago, Ontario ranked third last. “Cuts, cuts, cuts, cuts,” said Waterloo Region Labour Council president Len Carter as the Ontario Common…

— On Thursday, August 30, 2012 the Toronto Star ran the top editorial carrying the message of the Ontario Common Front. We’re 10th out of 10. Ontario has dropped to last place in Canada in supporting its most vulnerable citizens, according to a new report by the Ontario Common Front, a coalition of community groups, immigrant organizations, unions, First Nations and students. The statistics in the Falling Behind report, released Wednesday, are not new. What is new is that the study zeroes in on Ontario and compares it…

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 29, 2012 MEDIA RELEASE Ontario Leads in Poverty Increases and Dead Last in Social Program Funding: New Report Says Ontario is Falling Behind An Ontario-wide coalition of more than 90 groups and organizations concerned with growing inequality released an unprecedented new report today showing that Ontario has sunk to last place in Canada when measured against every important social indicator. “Most people would be shocked to know that Ontario has seen the largest increase in income inequality and the second largest…

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Monday, August 27, 2012 MEDIA ADVISORY Startling New Findings Show Ontario is Dead Last In Equality: Coalition of 90 Community Groups to Release Unprecedented Report (Toronto, Ontario) – A cross-Ontario coalition concerned with growing inequality is releasing an unprecedented new report that shows that Ontario has sunk to last place when measured against every important social indicator. The report demonstrates that not only are many Ontarians being left behind, but the entire province is falling behind the country and inequality is being…

(TORONTO, ON) ─ At a media conference held at Queen’s Park today, representatives of 90 community and labour groups unveiled a province-wide campaign, called “We Are Ontario,” to challenge lopsided budget priorities that promise more hardship for families while protecting the profits for big corporations. McGuinty’s cuts to jobs and services, which are the largest since Mike Harris’ first term of office, have stirred an opposition to match. “When voters reduced McGuinty’s government to a minority, they called for compromise and fairness in the legislature….

A media conference to be held at Queen’s Park on Friday, April 20 at 10:00 am will launch a province-wide campaign, called “We Are Ontario,” that brings together over 90 labour and community groups to oppose unfair budget cuts that target poor and middle-class families while rewarding banks and corporations. The campaign is planning a 3:00 pm rally of thousands at Queen’s Park on Saturday, April 21 but it will start the prior evening with a mass community assembly, called the “Common Front,” from 3:00…

Customized online avatars have been released to help you promote the April 21 Day of Action Against Cuts in multiple languages. Help build broad awareness in every community by changing your social media profile image to one of the multilingual images below. Download FRENCH Download PORTUGESE Download SIMPLIFIED CHINESE Download SPANISH Download TAMIL Download VIETNAMESE

With thousands already signed up to board 97 buses from as far away as Timmins, and thousands more planning to travel by foot, car and streetcar to the Queen’s Park Legislature, Saturday’s rally against McGuinty’s deep budget cuts is expected to demonstrate widespread public opposition only days before the final budget vote. “Ontarians are outraged by a budget that places the burden of addressing the provincial deficit at the feet of those least responsible for creating it in the first place,” said OFL President Sid…

Scheduled to air in the week before the final budget vote on Premier Dalton McGuinty’s “bankers’ budget”, We Are Ontario began airing prime-time radio ads that take aim at the unfairness in the government’s fiscal priorities. While delivering deep cuts to families, the budget continues to hand billions away to banks and corporations through tax cuts and loopholes. These campaign radio ads tell the Premier: “Thereʼs a better way to balance the provincial budget than deep cuts to families. It is time for banks and…

Your action is urgently needed to promote the April 21 Day of Action Against Cuts: Change your profile picture on Facebook and Twitter to the attached image to promote April 21. Forward this image to all of your members and networks to request that they do the same. Add the attached picture to your outgoing email signature. Promote the Day of Action on your website and through all of your online tools. Post at least one new Tweet or Facebook update every day until April…

At 3:00 pm on Saturday, April 21, 2012, the labour movement and community groups will hold a mass Day of Action against budget cuts at Queen’s Park in Toronto. The province continues to hand out billions of dollars in corporate tax cuts through the front door while public and private sector jobs are disappearing through the back door. The Ontario government is preparing to table a slash-and-burn budget in late March or early April that will be guided by the hundreds of cuts that former…